Reclining-chair



(N0 Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet l. J. PURSEL'L, S1.

REGLINING CHAIR. N0. 271,512. Patented JaILSO, 1883.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. PURSELL, Sr.

REGLINING CHAIR.

No. 271,512. PatenteJan. 30,1883.

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REGLINING CHAIR.

Patented .13.11.30, 1883.v

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Imran rares JOHhT PURSELL, SR., OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

RECLlNlNG-CHAIR.

SPCIFICATON forming part of Letters Patent No. 271,512, dated`Ja11uary 30, 1883.

Application tiled October 9, 1852. (No model.)

Haven, in the county of New Haven and State ot' Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in 'Reclining-Chairs, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates-to improvements in chairs in which the back may be readily transformed i'rom an upright into a reclining position, and the leg restset at an angle by the occupant.

The particular matter which constitutes my improvement will be made the subject ot' specitic claim, embracing in combination elements by which the back and the leg-rest can be adjusted by the occupant and supported in the desired positions.

'Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a view in 'perspective of lmy improved reclining-chair: Fig. 2, a vertical section, showing the back'and the leg-rest set i'or a reclining` position; and Fig. 3, a similar view, showing the chair adjusted in position to form a conch.

llhe seat-trame a is secured to side frames, which constitute the legs and the arm-rest. The t'ront and the rear legs, b and c, extend above the seat-frame in triangular form, the the rear legs being secured to the upper ends ot' the front legs',and the arm-rest d secured thereon and vupon the upper end of a pillar, d, secured to the seat-frame and to the rear legs, making a strong, firm, and durable frame. The back is connected to the scat-frame by couplings e, in torm like a bell-crank lever, being pivoted to the rear ends of the seat-frame a and to the side bars,j', ot the back, so as t0 allow the back to have a swinging and vertical movement upon the couplings. This doublepivoted connection given by thebell-crank levers allows the back to be turned as upon a pivot, and to have a limited rising and falling movement, by which it is rendered capable ot' connection and adjustment at its lower end beneath the seat, with fixed curved slotted racks g secured to the seat and the rear legs. The side bars, j', ofthe back extend below the seatframe, are curved frontward, and provided with inwardly-projecting headed pins h, adapted to be adjusted within the slots ot' the curved racks. These racks are secured at their lower ends to the rear legs and at their upper ends to the inner sides ofthe side bars ot' the seatframe, and are arcs4 ot' circles struck from a point centrally between the pivots of the lever-couplings ofthe back,so as to give a movement to the back sufficient to allow it to assume a vertical or horizontal position; As the rack-plates are fixed and the headed pins move within and engage with the teeth of their slots, the back must therefore have sut'ticient vertical play upon their coupling-levers to allow1 the pins to be freed from the teeth within the slot and to be moved over the teeth in the curved slots in setting the back in the desired position. Without this vertical swinging capacity of the back it could not be combined with the fixed rack-plates having curved teeth forming one side of the curved slots.

For the purpose ot' maintaining the headed pins of the back in locked relation to the teeth of the slots, rubber or coil springs 'i are attached to the side bars ofthe back ata suitable point between their headed pins and their pivoted couplings and to the i'orward ends ot the seat-trame, so as-to constantly exert a frontward-pulling torce upon the lower end ot' the back, and thereby-maintain the headed pins in their setpositlons in the teeth ofthe racks, holding the back secure when adjusted in the desired position. This construction ot' rack attachment and spring-connection ot'the back gives the important advantage of enabling the occupant to adjust the back as he may desire for his ease. This he does by taking hold of the knobs t', placed on the side 1oars of the back above the seat, andpulling the back upward and forward releases its headed pins from the rack-teeth, and, holding it in such position, its lower end will be pulled frontward and the back downward by the action of the springs until the desired inclination is given it.

To raise the back, the occupantpulls it to the front against the tension oi' the springs, and when suftlciently raised he presses the back down, so as to bring its pinsinto therack-teeth again. In this action the slots of the racks hold the back in proper connection therewith.

The leg-supportj is pivoted to the front ends ofthe seat-frame, and its side bars are provided each with a rack on their under side,while con- IOO nected arms k, hinged to the front legs, are adapted to engage with the racks of the legsupport and sustain it in the desired position.

To allow the occupant to have control over the legrest to set it as he may wish, a lit'tingcord, l, on one side of the chair, is attached at or near the free ends ofthe leg-rest, and passes through an eye, m, in the arm-rest in position to be pulled by the occupant to raise the legrest; but as the connection of the hinged arms with the leg-rest racks is maintained b v a spring, n, connecting said arms with the legrest, it is necessary to pull down the hinged arms to allow the leg-rest to be lowered. For this purpose a pulling-cord, r, on the other side ofthe chair, is attached to the hinged arms, and, passing under the ring b ofthe t'rontlegs and over a pulley, s, in the seatframe, is run through an eye, t, on the arm-rest, in position to be pulled b v the occupant to depress the rack-arms to allow the leg-rest to belet down, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3. The springconnect-ion of the leg-rest and its supportingarms allow the latter to follow up in contact with the leg-rest in raising it, and thus catch iu the teeth and sustain leg-rest secure at the desired position. In this way the right and left hand cords serve to place the control ot' the leg-rest under the occupant, either to raise it or to lower itvto suit his com f'ort, b v having separate cord-connections for the pivoted leg-rest and its hinged ratchet-arms, and connecting` these two parts by a spring.

The leg-rest ma;v be provided with ahinged foot-support, which may he attached so thatit can be adjusted as may be desired. The pulling-cords are provided with suitable halidpulls. The back may be provided with an adjustable head-rest ot' any suitable construction.

I claim- 1. The combination, in a reclining-chair, of the fixed bars g, having each a slot forming rack arranged upon each side ofthe chair-framc, one end of each connected to the seat-frame, and both,extendingdownward toward the back, are connected to the rear legs, with the back having headed pins adapted for adjustment with the rack-teeth within said slotted bars, and the hanging couplings e, pivoted to the side bars, f, of the back and to the seat-frame, whereby to allow the back to be adjusted within the said txed slot forming racks, substantially as described.

2. In combination, in a convertible chair, the slotted bars g, secured to the seat-frame and to the rear legs, having rack-teeth on one side ot' the slot, the back having headed pins working within said rack-slots, the hanging couplings c, pivoted to the seat-frame and to the back, and the springs t', arranged to exert a forward-pulling torce upon the back below the pivoted couplings, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

3. In a convertible chair, the combination of the pivoted leg-rest j, having racks, and 'its supporting hinged rack-arms k, with a spring, u, adapted to pull the rack-arms k into the leg-rest racks and to hold them in such connection, a cord, l, connected with the leg-rest'. vby which to elevate it, and a cord, r, connected with the hinged rack-arms, adapted to exert a downward pull upon them against the upward pull ot' the cord l, whereby the leg-rest and its supporting rack-arms are separated against the force ofthe spring to adjust the leg-rest,

substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereofl have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN PURSELL, SR. Witnesses:

HENRY C. LONG, LUoIUs B. HIMMAN. 

